Elevyn Newsletter – January 2009

Our newsletter for January 2009 is up!

In this edition, we talk about the wonderful occasion where we presented Christmas goodies to the 14 kids from the “Send the Sinompuru Kids to School” cause. We also welcome eHomeMakers as our latest online shop, and introduce you to our new 125-Artisan Challenge.

http://www.elevyn.com/newsletter/newsletter_200901.htm

To receive our monthly newsletter in your Inbox, just write to info@elevyn.com. No spam, we promise – and you can unsubscribe anytime!

The Places We Live

The Places We Live takes viewers on an engaging, eye-opening journey into the center of the world’s fastest growing human habitat, urban slums. Featuring photos and audio narrations by slum dwellers in Kenya, India, Indonesia and Venezuela.

Interesting fact: In 2008, for the first time in history, there are more people living in cities than in rural areas. One-third of these urban dwellers, over a billion of them – live in slums.

Featured on Change.org

Elevyn’s pledge to “Alleviate poverty in marginalized and rural groups through fair trade” is a featured Action on Change.org. We also had a write-up in its Fair Trade blog, describing the work that we do and our goal to support 125 artisans by World Fair Trade Day in May 2009.

Change.org is an online platform for informing and empowering movements for social change around the most important issues of our time.

The Challenge: 125 artisans in 6 months

With Elevyn, we particularly wanted to focus on communities in rural areas, many were impoverished because they did not have access to markets. As a result, traditional skills like natural dyeing were being lost, and motivation was low.

In urban communities, we met artisans who were starting to regain confidence in themselves after life changing events, from the effects of landmines and polio to single mothers trying to relearn new skills.

I felt that with applying business tools to sustain local handicraft projects, innovations in web 2.0 to achieve transparency between the market and the artisan, and a whole new way of approaching social work to help improve human lives, we could enable new generations of self independent artisans, and support the good work that our field partners were already doing.

2 months ago after becoming YSEI fellows, we had an extraordinary vision for ourselves to support 125 artisans within 6 months.

You will be able to track our progress on a daily level on our twitter updates, creating for us at least, an unprecendented accountability but at the same time provide an environment where you can support us, and help us get through those inevitable obstacles.

The challenge will culminate in an annoucement of our results on World Fair Trade day, on 09 May 09, where we hope to have this number of artisans on elevyn.com.

What you can do?

Inspire us, by blogging about it or featuring us. Follow us on twitter or become a fan on Facebook. Register on Elevyn to get our monthly newsletter or buy something.

Want to do more?

Volunteer your time, or look for sponsorship to send our field co-ordinator to villages. Send us suggestions, or just buy us coffee.

Elevyn on Air: BFM 89.9

My first encounter with BFM 89.9, “The Business Station” as it bills itself, was entirely coincidental. As with any other day, my fingers were firmly placed on the channel buttons on the car radio. I’m fickle with my music so it’s very rarely that a station stays on air for more than a song!

My “channel surfing” brought me to this nice classic old rock song that took me rather by surprise. So it stayed on, and another classic came up. Then another. Needless to say, I was shell-shocked to discover a local station that was dishing out something different. They were playing good music!

Some weeks later, the station followed up with new programmes interviewing entrepreneurs and business personalities, which was right down my alley. Wild Asia’s Dr Reza was on one of the show, as did Jonathan Wong from PushMore where I work out.

And as luck would have it, word got around about the work that we do on Elevyn, and we got the invite. Yay! It’ll be on Tuesday 20 January, 10am on 88.9, so stay tuned! Or listen online.

Not familiar with BFM? You may have seen them on the back of taxis. “Bagi Free Minyak”, “Bribe Free Malaysia”, etc. Funny!

Elevyn in NetExplorateur 100 Projects of 2008

Sometime last year Yung Hui of GreyReview submitted our project to the NetExplorateur, an annual Forum in Paris to recognize innovative ideas on the Internet and digital media.

A total of 100 projects from around the world would be selected, out of which the top 10 will be invited to the Forum in Paris.

Today, we were informed that Elevyn has made it into the NetExplorateur 100. Another Malaysian site, Tumpang.com also made the list. We were in good company – other projects include Adobe Photoshop Express,Google Streetview and Spore.

We wouldn’t be flying to Paris anytime soon – as we didn’t make it into the Top 10, but the recognition is a good indication that we’re on the right track. Do check out the 10 winning projects, there’s a lot of interesting stuff going on out there!

Thanks Yung Hui!

First Christmas with the Sinompuru Children

Last month, Elevyn released some funds from the “Send the SINOMPURU Kids to School” cause, in conjunction with the Christmas festivities and its nearing deadline to the new school year. Our field partner Malina Soning (of Soning Craft) helped to purchase exercise books, bags and school supplies for the 14 children in a mini Christmas party that she also organized.

On December 26th, Malina Soning sent us an email, informing that the programme went well. She also wrote a detailed report on the occasion, describing the activities for the kids, and the feedback received from the mothers. It was a warm, appreciative article and we all felt a little bump in our hearts.

We’d like to take this occasion to say a big thank you to all buyers and supporters of the Cause – you guys have truly helped make a difference! You can read the write-up here, or check out the photos!